


Home for the holidays (or The One With Foreign Boys, Peppermint Toads And Christmas At Hogwarts)

by AnyaEmily



Series: A series of Newtmas events [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types, The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Christmas Eve, Christmas Fluff, Era before Harry got to Hogwarts but after the Marauders, Friendship, Gryffindor Thomas, Hufflepuff Newt, M/M, Mistletoe, Potential Romance, gryffindor Minho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-27
Updated: 2016-12-27
Packaged: 2018-09-12 12:24:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9071548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnyaEmily/pseuds/AnyaEmily
Summary: A Christmas one shot in which Thomas makes Newt do stuff he wouldn't normally do and gets to steal a kiss or two.





	

With the arrival of snow to bug the Whomping Willow and snowball fights to enrage Mr. Filch, it was evident that the festive season was indeed upon Hogwarts. Everyone, student and professor alike, were wearing their warm house-colored scarfs while strolling through the yard and taking walks to the Lake, no matter how cold it was outside. Winter always brought picturesque sights to their school and rarely anyone was reluctant to take it in and enjoy.

One of those peculiar someones was a sixth year Hufflepuff Head Boy, who was at the moment begrudgingly crossing the yard on his way to his next class. Wrapped from head to toe in thick winter clothes, his eyes and pink nose barely peeking out, he came to confirm time and time again that he was definitely a summer child.

He huffed a short breath, watching as it evaporated in the chilly air when a snowball hit him square in the back of the head. He whipped around, annoyed enough to start taking house points even if it turned out to be his own, but he had to settle for a stern frown. For the one idiot who stood nearby with his wand out and grinning like the retard he was, was his best friend, Minho.

“Whoops, I should’ve yelled _‘heads up’_ beforehand, sorry man” The Asian boy kept his grin on while he strolled easily closer, confirming, if even necessary, that he wasn’t sorry at all.

“Just because you’re a Gryffindor and Dumbledore favors it doesn’t mean you should take every chance you buggin’ get to cause trouble knowing that you’ll get away with it.” Came the irritated reply as the Hufflepuff turned and continued on his way.

“Nah, you know _Dumbledee_ is not the reason why I get away with stuff.”

Minho was now walking along; it appeared that he wasn’t done with his teasing.

“It’s cause you love me too much to send me to detention!” He made kissy faces at his friend who couldn’t help but chuckle.

“You’re damn right, you shank, you owe me big time.”

Minho laughed and blew him a kiss before he rounded the corner and headed to his own class ( _to which he was most likely late to_ ).

With a slight roll of his eyes, Newt finally went inside the classroom and took a seat in the back, ready for his Charms lesson to start.

 

***

 

“Yo-“

“-Yo!-”

“-Newt!-”

“-Shank!-“

_“-YO SHANK!”_

“ _Oh my God Minho_ , I’m sittin’ right here, do you really have to shuckin’ yell?!”

“Oh. I thought you were that guy way over there by the windows. My bad. _Hey now come ooon_ , don’t you rub your temples at me, I have something really important to tell you!”

“Alright, but stop shouting, we’re in the library for Merlin’s sake. Just sit down and tell me what’s got you so worked up this time.”

“Okay, okay, okay. Set your mind on this, we just got _\- a new transfer student!_ I saw him a few days ago in the common room but I figured he was just some random dude I never noticed before.”

“Okay, and? Is that it?”

“No, of course that’s not it, let me finish, woman!”

“Don’t call me that and I thought I told you to keep it down.”

“Geez okay, just slim it and listen. He transferred from Ilvermony in the States cause his parents moved to the UK and he got a private sesh with _Dumbledee_ and all so he could be sorted into a proper house, not those creature based ones the Americans have.”

“And the big reveal is that he was sorted into Gryffindor? You kinda gave that away from the start-“

“Would ya let me finish? Yes, he joined our noble house, but that is still not the point. The point is that that dude is _so crazy_! And I don’t mean like literal _mental_ , but listen to this. Me, Alby and Jeff overheard McGonagall talking to Snape about that guy’s previous O.W.L. scores, or whatever they’re called in the States, and he is crazy smart! It’s ridiculous how high they were, I’m telling you! He’d give Teresa a good run for her money.”

“Then how come he wasn’t put into _Ravenclaw_?”

“Because of this: he had some serious reports about _‘bad behavior’_ from Ilvermony which he got for always breaking the rules and doing Merlin knows what. So I naturally sought him out and invited to hang out.”

“ _Naturally_. So how did that go?”

“Well you’ll tell me cause I told him to meet us in the Great Hall in thirty.”

“ _What??”_

“ _Shh_ , be quiet shank!”

“Min, why’d ya have to force me into this? You know how I feel about your ‘ _fellow Gryffindor buds’_.”

“Yeah, but you like Alby and Jeff and Fry. Who says you won’t like my man Thomas?”

“ _Thomas_?”

“Yeah, come on, _Newtie_ , I bet you’ll love him! Wh- _Would you stop rubbing your temples at me??”_

“ _Fine_. Fine, if it’s so bloody important to you, fine. But if he ends up being one of those who never shut the hell up, I demand a right to leave.”

“Alright, alright, you’ve got yourself a deal. Well then, let’s go bring some joy into that shank’s life!”

“Yes, I’m _sure_ he’ll be _thrilled_ to become friends with you.”

“Bite me, blondie.”

“Gladly, Min. Gladly.”

 

***

 

The Great Hall was the only thing Newt loved about holiday season. He would endure the cold, the dark, the students running around everywhere, all of it if it still means he’ll be able to spend time and wonder around the Hall. It was always decorated top to bottom, an enormous Christmas tree right by the professors’ table, filled with colorful ornaments and bows and twinkly lights far too many to count; snow seemingly falling from the bewitched ceiling; tables overflowing with sweets and treats no matter the time of the day, with an abundance of warm pumpkin juice and hot chocolate. But the very favorite thing of Newt’s about it was the constant buzz of positive energy and festive atmosphere, excitement for the upcoming holidays bringing an instant smile to everyone’s face.

Right now, the Great Hall was more empty than filled since the last exams were still taking place before everyone goes home for the break. Newt however will have to spend Christmas at the castle this year, because his parents are taking care of his aunt who’s been very sick lately. He doesn’t mind though, Hogwarts was always like his second home and Minho promised he’ll be back early and before the break’s even over so the blond wouldn’t even be by himself for long.

His thoughts snapped back to the present as he noticed a handsome someone coming close to the spot where he and Min were sitting at. For a moment it looked like the boy will just pass them but then he swung his leg over the bench and sat down right next to them.

There were a few things Newt noticed right away about the guy. Firstly, he was undeniably good looking, with a fit build that suggested he played Quidditch ( _a Chaser or Beater probably_ ), dark ruffled hair, pointy nose, bright eyes and constellations of moles and freckles across his face.

Secondly, by the already half formed smirk on his lips, Newt could guess that this one was as big a smartass as his best friend, which meant double the teasing and cheeky remarks ( _one might even say double trouble_ ).

Thirdly, he was precisely what the blond has been dreading, seeing as the guy started talking from the very second he joined them at the Gryffindor table. Newt had already been asked a dozen of questions, from his name and house ( _as if the idiot couldn’t see for himself by one glance at the Brit’s tie_ ), what does the name of it mean and what kind of people get sorted into it to asking if Newt was named after the famous magizoologist Newt Scamander.

Newt knew _, he knew_ it would end like this and yet by some unforeseen turn of events he stayed put on the bench and kept patiently answering any and all of Thomas’ questions.

Months later Minho teased him constantly that destiny kept him glued to that seat as if cast by a spell after which the Head Boy would accuse him of doing just that.

 _“Yeah yeah, even if I did then you would owe me even more!” T_ he Asian would reply with a wave of hand.

Back to the present, Thomas was just re telling an especially exciting game of Quidditch to which the other Gryffindor eagerly commented along so Newt could sit back and relax for a bit, settling on observing them discus different techniques. He felt solemn and content in this moment; he could already tell that Thomas will become a part of their little group in no time. Newt found himself not minding terribly for the guy wasn’t all bad, even with his never ending que of questions. He suspected though that Minho will become better friends with him rather than the blond, they do share a whole lot of interests and things in common. Then again, Newt himself was pretty different in general from the rest of his friends and yet they were all very close with each other. Either ways Thomas fitted right in as Newt had a chance to confirm not long after when the Asian introduced him to their gang.

An interesting fact is that their group was very famous amongst other students and found interesting and endearing by the adults. It was because they were so close yet numerous and different. Their gang featured five or six Gryffindors, three Hufflepuffs, three Slytherins and a Ravenclaw, all differencing in age and sex. The commonest of places for hanging out and the only able to contain all of them was the courtyard so people started calling them _Gladers_.

With a _Newbie_ amongst them to tease and get to know, time flew by quickly for the _Gladers_ and before Newt knew it, the morning of packing and shuffling through the snow to the station came. He went along with his friends to the train station in Hogsmeade to see them off and wish them a Happy Christmas. Once the train left noisily he started on his way back to the castle, stopping by Honeyduke’s to buy some Peppermint Toads as a treat while he read a book or something once he got back to his common room. Head Boy and Girl had separate dormitories from the rest of the students but Newt preferred spending his free time by the warm fireplace, surrounded by fellow Hufflepuffs and the ever accompanying delicious smells from the kitchen.

Lost in his daydreaming, the blond failed to notice a certain someone watching him enter the castle grounds from the Owlery. The person smiled to themselves and after finishing the attaching of a letter to an owl’s leg, they put their hands in their pockets and descended down the steps.

Few days later, it was Christmas Eve as Newt made his way into the Great Hall for the traditional holiday supper. He loved it dearly, the food always tasted almost home-made, probably on purpose so that all the kids that couldn’t be with their family at least felt a little bit of it there.

The blond was just about to start piling his plate with different delights when a smiling face appeared in his eyeshot.

“Hey, mind if I join you?”

“Thomas?” Newt’s eyebrows disappeared under his lose fringes.

“I thought you went home for the break?”

“Nope, my folks called it off last minute. Dad had a situation at work or something so they have their hands full settling that.”

“Huh” Newt smiled sympathetically, “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Nah, it’s alright” The brunet shrugged it off and began filling his plate.

“It gives me the time to explore this place better and besides, I was hoping to hang out with you some more but you never seemed to leave your common room” Thomas laughed and the blond frowned.

“Sorry, _Greenie_ , you could’ve just came to the dorms and asked for me, ya know?”

“Yeah well I still can barely manage to find a way to my own dorms, let alone yours!” Thomas puffed his cheek a bit which made Newt laugh full heartedly.

“And stop calling me _Greenie_ , I have a name you know” The Gryffindor added.

The blond shot him an amused look, quietly biting on his meat for a time.

“And what would you like me to call you?” He finally asked slowly.

Thomas was about to open his mouth and state the obvious ( _“By_ _my name, duh”_ ) but then he thought he caught a twinkle of mischief in the Hufflepuff’s dark stormy eyes and the new possibilities of his answer made him way more excited than he should’ve been.

“Well” The brunet swallowed the bit of pie, “how about _love muffin_?”

There was a beat of silence as both kept their gazes locked.

“Cheeky” Came Newt’s reply as he went back to his meal.

Thomas couldn’t keep his smile to himself nonetheless.

They chatted pleasantly for the remaining of the supper, about everything and anything and the blond was surprised to find just how much in common he had with the boy. Not to mention how much he enjoyed their friendly ( _and sometimes teasing_ ) conversation. When they both finished their desserts, Thomas suggested they take a walk on the castle grounds before it got too dark. Newt glanced through the tall windows noting the steady fall of flaky snowflakes. He sighed to himself but obliged in the end, as long as Thomas stopped whining and begging to go. They put on their warmest clothes and wrapped themselves in scarves but even so the blond suspected that he will be freezing. As Thomas opened the broad wooden doors and a biting breeze swept around them, Newt knew for sure he will freeze _his arse off out there_. But much like the first time he met the boy, he found himself following him still in spite of his insides protesting. There must be something about him to make the Hufflepuff go along with all the things he normally wouldn’t do.

So now Thomas is happily strolling through the snow, enjoying the creaky sound it made with his every step while Newt struggles through it behind him, rubbing his hands to keep at least some body heat. The brunet waited for him to catch up before continuing on. They were heading towards the Lake where the Giant Squid probably slept underneath the frozen surface. They didn’t talk but it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence, somehow it calmed the blond and made him forget the nagging inconveniences. They were close to the icy shore when Thomas finally broke the silence.

“Hey um, I know we’ve just met a month ago and I don’t know you that well yet but I-“

He fumbled his hand around his pocket, leaning his torso to the side so he could pull out a little bag out of it. It was crumply and clumsily wrapped in decorative paper, even thorn a bit at the sides and Newt just stared at it questionably while Thomas frowned at the sight.

“ _Aw man_! I _knew_ this would happen, _for Merlin’s sake_!”

He rubbed his face in annoyance but hearing a chuckle from the blond made him stop and look up.

“It’s fine Tommy, I don’t mind. I didn’t even get _you_ anything.”

Newt smiled apologetically.

Thomas smiled back and blushed a little at the new nickname ( _although luckily his cheeks were already flushed from the cold_ ).

“It’s not much, it’s barely a gift, you know, but I still wanted to get you something..”

He handed over the little bag and watched as Newt carefully unwrapped it, as if it was perfectly put together and he didn’t want to ruin it. He laughed when the paper revealed a bag of Peppermint Toads.

“Yeah, it’s stupid, I know, I’m not even sure if those are your favorite but I saw you bought them that one time and I thought-“

Thomas waved his hands around all the while Newt just watched him silently, a smile still present on his face.

“-the more I explain it the stupider it sounds so I’m just gonna stop talking now..”

The Gryffindor huffed and it came out as a fading cloud around them. Newt laughed again, eyes crinkling at his friend and reached out to pat him on the head.

“ _There_ , _there_ , Tommy. Don’t get yourself worked up. If I say I love it will you stop babbling nonsense and agree to go back inside?”

Thomas thought for a second.

“Yes but only if I get a kiss in return.”

At Newt’s raised eyebrows the Gryffindor shrugged nonchalantly.

“Like you said, you didn’t give me a gift so this can be it. We’ll call it even and then we go back where it’s warm and cozy and wait for Christmas drinking hot chocolate.”

The blond considered the offer for a moment and really a little kiss was nothing if it meant he’ll be warm and content soon after.

“Alright, deal.”

Newt nodded and not a second later his chapped lips were against Thomas’ flushed cheek. They lingered there for a moment before the blond pulled back and gave a small smile.

“ _There_ , happy? Can we go now?”

The brunet huffed a breath and then they were on the path back to the school.

Once back inside, Newt led Thomas to the Hufflepuff dorms where they settled in the common room in front of the burning fireplace.

“Isn’t this like, against the rules? To have someone from another house over?”

Thomas asked as he took off the many layers of coats and made himself comfortable on the floor.

“It is but just one of the many conveniences of being Head Boy is that you get to do whatever you want.”

Newt was just putting away their wet garments as Thomas laughed loudly.

“So there _is_ a bad boy in you _after all_!”

Newt rolled his eyes but then one of the elves appeared with two mugs of hot chocolate and the blond thanked him.

The two boys then enjoyed a silent moment together, both lost in their own thoughts, faces pleasantly hot and stinging from the flames, hands wrapped around each’s respective mug and shoulders slightly touching. Newt felt all tingly inside but he attributed that to the heat from the fire.

He was still pondering about it when he caught Thomas moving with his peripheral vision. The blond glanced over and stared confusedly at his friend who was for some reason holding one hand high up above their heads. The younger Gryffindor quirked up his eyebrow at him before indicating to look up. Newt followed his gaze and his eyes landed on a tiny branch held in the hand.

Thomas expected Newt to say just about anything at that moment but what he did not expect was “ _You are such a dork, Tommy. You do know you could’ve just used the levitation charm and spare yourself the arm cramp?”_

They both laughed shortly after which the stillness and silence that fell Newt’s quiet voice broke.

“But for real, why’d ya have mistletoe?”

A look of uncertainty crossed his features which Thomas has never seen before on the blond and it made him answer in an equally gentle whisper.

“Well in the spirit of Christmas and all that, I just wanted to have a solid excuse for when I kiss you in a minute.”

A breath of a chuckle filled the air.

“ _Spoiler alert_ , Tommy.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading, I hope you liked it! I know Christmas just passed but I still wanted to post something relevant. New chapter of Living in yesterday coming out tomorrow and in the meantime comment, leave kudos and I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! 
> 
> -AE


End file.
